DeNA Establishes Healthcare Business

Published 2:00 AM ET Tue, 3 June 2014
Globe Newswire

TOKYO, June 3, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DeNA Co., Ltd. (Tokyo:2432) today announced that it has formed DeNA Life Science Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary focused on healthcare services. The division's premiere project will be Mycode, a genetic testing service available for consumers residing in Japan. The new service is slated to launch in late July.

Mycode is derived from a joint research project conducted by DeNA and the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Tokyo (IMSUT), Japan's foremost research institute for medical life sciences with its own affiliated research hospital in Tokyo, Japan. The shared research laboratory is located inside the IMSUT campus, where researchers from both DeNA and IMSUT are developing Japanese-specific disease risk prediction algorithms required for providing a highly reliable and accurate genetic testing service.

"As a pioneer of developing and operating a range of visionary internet services over the past 15 years, DeNA is continually seeking opportunities to invest in areas that challenge traditional business models and bring delight to consumers," said Isao Moriyasu, President and CEO of DeNA. "With IMSUT's world-class research capabilities, we believe that DeNA's Life Science division brings a new wave of digital innovation to the healthcare industry."

"Mycode is our first step in sharing the benefits of the DeNA and IMSUT joint research project to the public," said Tomoko Namba, a board member and founder of DeNA who is in charge of the company's new healthcare business. "Based on careful examination of ethical, legal and social issues, DeNA hopes to establish Mycode as an exemplary genetic testing service in Japan with the potential to become the global standard."

DeNA and IMSUT's joint research was formed as a result of DeNA's long-held ambition to start a new business that contributes to the health and longevity of society. The joint research is a part of a large-scale research and development initiative of multiple academic institutions and corporations in Japan, which aims to utilize big data to drive innovation in the healthcare field. The initiative has been recently selected for a COI-T (Satellite) funding program under the Center of Innovation Science and Technology based Radical Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program (COI STREAM), an industry-academia collaborative program administered by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST).

More details about Mycode, including availability and pricing, will be revealed soon.

About DeNA

DeNA (pronounced "D-N-A") is a global leader of developing and operating mobile services including free-to-play games, e-commerce and other online offerings. Founded in 1999, DeNA is headquartered in Tokyo with offices and game development studios across the globe. DeNA Co., Ltd. is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (2432). For more information, visit: dena.com